Of Darkness… offers a style of death metal that unites bleak atmospheric passages with faster, unchained technical instrumental work. It’s a good release to my ears, but is very different from the band’s later works. If you are one of those who have known Therion for its later symphonic metal milestones, you should be cautious before purchasing or even listening to this record.
#DARKNESS ALBUM REVIEW FULL#
Therion itself started to play a mixture of thrash and death metal on its first demos, which led to a full length debut, Of Darkness…, which was released in early 1991. The band quickly changed its name to Megatherion and then on to Therion in 1988. The band has continued to do so since its foundation under the moniker of Blitzkrieg in 1987, when Johnsson and his band mates were only about fifteen years old. This Swedish legend has developed its very own, unique operatic sound over the last couple of decades, but Therion was always open-minded about experiments, and has played in rather different genres and styles. We all know Therion as an ambitious, innovative, and skilled symphonic metal band around the only remaining founding member, Christofer Johnsson. All these songs sound fresher (and heavier) on the demos and on the "Time Shall Tell" EP (including the two songs that were taken from that recording, oddly enough). It is a solid death metal album that will appeal to fans of early At the Gates and early Darkthrone, but Therion could have done better. Still, I can't help but feel that “Of Darkness.” was a missed opportunity. The band also made better use of ambient keyboards here than on their previous recordings, adding to their supernatural feel. Peter Hansson's soloing sounds thoughtful and melodic, as always. Therion were fine song-writers and the riffs were crushing. Of course, this album contains plenty of great old school death metal. This was done to conceal the fact that the band ran out of studio time and thus included the EP recordings of these two songs (i.e., it was fudged at the last minute). It is worsened by the fact that two of the best songs ("Time Shall Tell" and "Dark Reality") are relegated to the end. This jostling around between the eras is off-putting. The third song ("Morbid Reality") was also taken from the first demo. I think "Asphyxiate with Fear" would have made a better opener, but its relative maturity and complexity sounds odd after "The Return". It is not a statement song by any measure. Contrast it with the definitive opening tracks on other Stockholm death metal debuts (e.g., "Left Hand Path", "Override of the Overture", "Harbouring the Soul"). It is a good song in an old school death metal way, but it comes from the band’s first demo. The sequencing is wrong and it doesn't flow as it should. "Of Darkness." was a mere exercise in consolidation. Each of their demos saw them edging further along their own path of abstract expression. The reason it hampers Therion is because of their progressive ethos. This format works well for most death metal bands. They presented two songs from their first demo, one from their second demo, and all four from the "Time Shall Tell" EP. This is common for death metal debut albums from the period, who often compiled the best of the demo era with a singular production aesthetic. Seven of the eight songs here had already been released elsewhere. "Of Darkness." leans heavily on the band's pre-album material. Still, every time I play this album I'm left with an underwhelming feeling.ĭigging deeper into the history of this record reveals some clues as to why this might be. This album also has a Studio Sunlight production courtesy of the legendary Tomas Skogsberg, so the guitar sounds beefy and the drums sound real. The band had their own sound that was distinct from the trends of the time (and since). This is a dark, atmospheric, enigmatic record with lots of riffs and enough weirdness to be endearing. I don't listen to "Of Darkness." much, despite it having many of the qualities I love in death metal.
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